1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology of managing licenses for a connected device in a system by using a device having a server function.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, patent document 1 discloses a technology of implementing a function (service) for integrally managing usage licenses of software items of a server. Specifically, the server is provided with a license management table for managing the usage of software items included in the server by each user.
Patent document 1 indicates an example where a license is used when a software item in the server is used by a client. Similarly, in a server-client type system, a license (hereinafter, “connection license”) is used when the client connects to a server.
The following describes operation formats of a connection license. For example, the servers have connection licenses, and the number of clients that can access each server is controlled. In another example, the clients have connection licenses, and the server only allows a client having the connection license to connect to the server.
In conventional systems, fraudulent connections from clients (connections with the use of fraudulent licenses) are prevented by the above operation formats.
However, the conventional method has the following problem. That is, when the servers have connection licenses, a single connection license is not applicable to a client attempting to connect to plural servers. For example, in a large-scale system, plural servers are provided in the system, and these servers provide functions to client. In this case, in the conventional method, a connection license is assigned to the client by each server. That is to say, the client cannot use functions provided from plural servers with the use of a single connection license.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-146740